1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of surgical coagulation of tissue.
2. Description of the Background Art
Controlling or arresting blood loss is of high priority during surgery so as to avoid or minimize the necessity of introducing foreign blood or blood products into a patient. This has increased in importance due to concern over contamination of the blood supply by viral agents which cause, for example, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis, and the like.
Presently, the standard means for controlling traumatic and surgical blood loss are electrosurgical generators and lasers, which respectively direct high-frequency electrical currents or light energy to localize heat in bleeding vessels so as to coagulate the overlying blood and vessel walls.
Recently, argon beam coagulators have been demonstrated to be effective tissue coagulators. Presently available argon beam coagulators include a flexible cable having a nozzle tip with an opening through which argon gas flows. The device includes a handle immediately adjacent the nozzle tip for placing the tip in position for tissue coagulation. Within the tip is located a tungsten needle for discharging radiofrequency (RF) current which ionizes the argon gas. The stream of ionized argon, a colorless, odorless, inactive gas, conducts the current to the tissue and blood vessels, while effectively blowing blood away from the vessels and allowing coagulation within vessel walls.
Argon beam coagulator systems have been utilized to control or arrest blood flow in various types of incisional surgeries, including radical head and neck surgery, Ward, et al., Archives of Autolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 115:921-923 (1989): and partial nephrectomy, Hernandez, et al., The Journal of Urology, 143:1062-1065 (1990). The argon beam coagulator system has also been utilized for electrosurgical debulking of ovarian cancer, Brand, et al., Gynecologic Oncology, 39:115-118 (1990). However, the configuration of currently available argon beam coagulators has prevented their use in other forms of surgery.
There is a need in the art for an argon beam coagulator which can be utilized in surgical applications which are not presently available.